Amabilis fir, Pacific silver fir • Abies amabilis{Amabilis = lovely}

Amabilis fir growing on Calvert Island. On the east side of the island amablis fir is a dominant tree species and grows to large sizes (see top right photos), especially in river valleys. Stunted trees are found at higher elevations, like those found near Mt. Buxton (bottom right). Photos by Brian Starzomski.

Habitat & RangeAmabilis fir commonly grows on deep, well-drained locations; on the Central Coast of BC it grows in mixed coniferous forests with Sitka spruce (Picea sitchensis), western redcedar (Thuja plicata), and hemlock (Tsuga spp.). Its range extends along the coast from southern Alaska to northern California. It is restricted to higher elevations (in the Cascade Mountain Range above 1000 m) in the southern extent of its range; going northward from that region it is found at increasingly lower elevations, and may be found close to sea level along the BC coast.

Similar SpeciesGrand fir (Abis grandis) is found in southern BC, while subalpine fir (A. lasiocarpa) is mostly found in and east of the Coast-Cascade Mountains, though it is present on Vancouver Island and inland from the mainland BC coast (see map). Grand fir can be distinguished by its light green cones and horizontally-spreading needles that do not lie flat against and alongside branch tops. The needles of subalpine fir have stomata on both sides and do not lie in an obvious horizontal plane; instead they curve upwards.

Intriguing InfoSmall amabilis fir trees are often found in the forest understory as the species is tolerant of shade. Such individuals may remain in the understory for centuries. See the BC Ministry of Forests species page for more information on amabilis fir, including its uses.